Cable-grip mechanism.



R. F. ARNOTT. CABLE GRIP MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1912 Patented July 8, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. F. ARNOTT.

CABLE GRIP MECHANISM.

APPLICATION IILED NOV. 1, 1012.

Patented July 8, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. F. ARNOTT.

CABLE GRIP MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 1, 1912.

Patented July 8 3 SEEB'ISSHEBT 3.

UNTTED STATE$ FTENT @FFICE.

ROBERT FLEMING ARNOTT, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO REGINALD H. KEAYS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CABLE-GRIP MECHANISM.

Application filed November 1, 1912.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1 b all whom it may concern lie it known that I, lloincn'r FLEMING Anno'r'r, a subject of the King Of England, residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and State oi New Jersey, have invented cer tain new and usei ul Improvements in Cable- (fi-rip Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements :in cable-grip mechanism for use in streetcar cable-railways and cable railways used in mines, in tunnel construction, pleasure railways and other places; and an object of this invention is to provide a cable-grip mechanism in which the cable will be automatically gripped and released at certain predetermined points along the railway.

Another obj cct of this invention is to combine a cable-grip mechanism oi. the autolnatic type with a switch mechanism, so that by throwing the switch controlling the direction which the car shall take, mechanism which controls the cable-grippers will be thrown into and out of operation.

A third object of this invention is to provide a cable-grip mechanism of the automatic type which will be simple .in construction, comparatively cheap in nnmut'acture and low in first cost of installation and which will prove durable, reliable, positive and eilicient in operation and use.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of this invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle, l igure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a cablerailway equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the cable conduit, the cable being shown released; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the cablegrippers, looking in the direction of the arrow A of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an elevation oi the cable grippers, looking in the opposite direction (or in the direction oi the arrow B of Fig. 2) Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section through the axis of the spindle which controls the movable. grippers, the manually-operated relcasinglever being shown removed; Fig. 6 is a section on the line C-C of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a section on the line DD of Fig. 3; Fig. 8 is a section on the line E-E of Fig. 5; Fig. 9 is a section on the line FF of Fig. 5; Fig. 10 is a plan view showing the cable-grip mechanism combined with switch mechanism;

and Fig. 11. is a detail of the eccentric mounting oi one of the grippcr-actiiating wheels.

The joists or cross-beams a (only one of which is shown in Fig. 2) support the sidewalls 6 oi the cable conduit 0 and also the stringers (Z to which are suitably fastened, as by bolts 0, the transversely-disposed metal castings or frames 0, which serve as shaiit hangers or suppers, as will be hereina't'tcr particularly described. The coveringf of the cable conduit 0 serves as a track floor or road-bed and is formed with a central longitudinal slot g for the passage oi the cable grippers, the side walls oi the slot being faced with angle-irons lb, which serve as wear-plates. Upon the top oi the conduit covering f are laid the rails ot' the cable railway; and on these rails roll the carwheels j which through the axles Z: support the carbody m. To the bottom oi the carbody m there is suitably fastened a trans versely-disposed plate n. from which depends the stationary gripper 0 formed at its lower end with the jaw 22. As is best shown in Figs. 3 and 1-, the body portion oi. this stationary gripper o is branched or bifurcated and each oi the legs 0 is formed with an ear 0 (Fig. 9) through which passes a pivot-pin (j. This pin passes also through an ear r formed on the body por tion of the movable gripper r and thereby pivotally fastens the latter to the legs o of the stationary gripper 0 so that the movable gripper v' may rock thereon back and forth. The movable gripper 7 is formed at its lower end with a jaw 7), which is similar to the jaw 7) Of the stationary gripper 0; and the opposed working faces of these jaws p are formed with grooves or recesses p adapted to receive the cable 8. The upper end oi. the movable gripper r is bifurcated and is pivotally fastened to the inner end of the transvm'sely-disposed spindle or rodt the other or outer end oi which passes through a si'lpporting bracket it, which depends from the transverse plate a and 1s formed with a pair of horizontally-disposed bracket-arms u. The spindle 6 passes through a coil-spring 4) one end oi? which presses against an annular flange or collar t formed upon the spindle t and the other end oi which presses against the bracket to (Figs. 2 and 5).

Pivotally mounted on tho stud-shaft 1o screwed into the bracket plate a is a tripper-lever 10 one end of which carries a camroller 00 and to the other end of which is attached by dowel-pins y and the screw 3 a lip or detent g, which is adapted and arranged to engage in a recess 2 formed in the outer end of the spindle t. It will be understood that, when the detent y is thrown out of the recess 2, the spindle 25 is released, and, under the influence of the coil-spring '21, the spindle 6 will be then thrown to the left in Figs. 2 and 5, whereby the cable 8 is firmly gripped by and between the jaws p. In order that the tripper-lever to may be automatically operated, there are arranged, at suitable points along the cable-railway, tri-pper-blocks 2 having an inclined or cam face 3 up which the cam-roller w rides, whereby the tripper-lever w is rocked and the detent -3 is withdrawn from the recess 2 in the spindle t.

Cast integral with the shaft-supporting frame 0 is a pair of journal boxes 4 in each of which is mounted a vertically-disposed shaft 5 on the lower end of which is fastened a spur-gear 6 and on the upper end of which is fastened a disk or wheel 7. On the lower end of one of these shafts 5 there is mounted a driving pulley 8.. To each leg 0' of the stationary gripper 0 there is fas tened, as by the screw 9, one end of the bridge-piece or yoke-bar 9. Between the legs 0 there projects from the movable gripper 1' a lug 10 the outer face of which is formed with a cam surface 10 (Fig. 6). The disks 7 are arranged at such a height that the lug 10 will rub against one of the disks, while the bridge-piece or yoke-bar 9 will rub against the other thereof, as the grippers a, 0, pass between the disks. The space between the latter is so narrow thatthe lower end of the movable gripper 1 will be forced by the pressure to yield and will throw the spindle t to the right in Figs. 2 and 5, against the tension of the coilspring 1), whereby the recess 2 will be brought over the detent y, which will then engage the wall of the recess .2. As the gripping jaws are thus forced apart, the cable 8 will, of course, be released. Provision is made as follows for the manual release of the cable: Upon the outer end of the spindle if there is fastened a collar 5', against which there is adapted to be pressed the inner bifurcated end of a lever 11 which is fulcrumed bet-ween the bracket-arms a (Figs. 2 and 9). hen it is desired to release the cable manually it is only necessary to swing the outer end of the lever 11 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 9, whereby the bifurcated inner end of the lever is pressed against the collar t and the spindle t is forced to the right in Figs. 2 and5.

To provide for those cases in which it is desirable to release the cable-grip mechanism automatically and at the same time to switch the car to a shunt or branch track, the following mechanism is provided: One of the disks (which one is marked 7 in Figs. 10 and 11) is eccentrically mounted upon its shaft 5 to the lower end of which is fastened a rocker-arm 12 connected by the link 13 with the rocker-arm 1% fast upon the lower end of the vertical rock-shaft 15. The lower end of the latter carries a second rocker-arm 14* which is by means of the link-rod 16 connected with the rocker-arm 1'7 fastened to the lower end of the rock shaft '18 the upper end of which carries the switch-tongue 19. To the upper end of the vertical rock-shaft 15 there is fastened a switch-operating arm 20. When it is de sired to release the car from the cable and simultaneously shunt it upon a branch track 21, the switch-arm 20 is thrown into the position shown in Fig. 10, whereby the ver tical shaft 15 is turned so as to move the eccentrically-mounted disk 7* toward its cooperating disk 7 such a distance that the interval between these two disks 7, 7 is made so narrow that the lug l0 and the yokebar 9 cannot pass between them without the movable gripper 1" being rocked to release the cable .9 as hereinbefore described (see full line position of the disk 7 and switch needle 19 in Fig. 10.) When, however, it is desired that the cable shall' remain gripped and the car shall, therefore, remain upon the main line 2', the switch-arm 20 is thrown in the opposite direction (that of the arrow in Fig. 10), whereupon the disk 7 will be moved away from its cooperatingdisk 7 such a distance that, as the grippers 0, 9" pass between the disks 7, 7 the interval therebetween will be so wide (or great) that the bridge-piece 9 and the lug 10 will not engage the disks 7* and 7, and the cable will remain gripped. At the same time the switch-tongue is thrown into such a position that the car is made to continue along the main track z'. The rocker-arm 12 is formed integral with the stop-arm 12 the free end of which ias a flange 12 and is arranged to bear against the shaft-supporting frame 0, which thus limits its travel or swing in one direction. 3

The devices which control the cable-grip mechanism are located at the most advantageous positions along the cable-railway; thus, for example, as shown in Fig. 1, the releasing disks 7 are located at the top of an incline down which the car may coast, after the cable is released; while the tripperblock 2 which serves to bring about the automatic gripping of the cable, is located near the bottom of that incline (or it may be positioned near the beginning of the next upward incline).

The operation of my new cable-grip mechanism will now be readily understood and is substantially as follows: Assuming the cable 8 to be gripped by the jaws 7), and the car to be a 'an'oaching the disks 7, (Fig. 1.) the interval between the latter will be found too narrow to admit of the tree passage of the lug 10 on the movable gripper 7' and the yoke-bar 9 on the stationary gripper 0; that is, when the able .9 is gripped by the jaws 7?, the distance :trom the outer face of the yoke-bar 9 to the cam-taco .10 ot the lug 1O greater than the interval between the disks 7. 'lherelore, as the grippers 0, 7* pass between these two disks 7, the yoke-bar 9 of the gripper 0 rubs against one of the disks (the lett-hand one in Fig. 2) while the can'i-t'ace 10 ot the lug 10 ot the movable gripper r bears against the other disk, whereby the movable gripper r swung upon its pivotpin the jaws p are separated and the cable 8 is released. At the same time the notch e in the spindle t is brought into register with the detent y and the tripper-lever to acts like a counterweighted latch so that the detent 3 moves upwardly into the notch .2 and locks the spindle t wit-h the jaws 7) apart or in cable releasing position. The car now coasts down the incline (shown in Fig. 1) under the influence of gravity and momentum and meets the tripperblock 2, which is located at the bottom of that incline. The cam roller a: now rides up the cam face 3 at the tripper-block 2, whereby that end of the tripper-lever w is raised and the other end thereof is simultaneously thrown down so as to withdraw the detent y from the notch .2 in the spindle t. hen the latter is released, the coil-spring '1) is free to act and throws the upper end of the movable. gripper r to the left in Fig. 2 and thereby brings the n'lovable jaw 7) ot the same against the cooperating jaw of the stationary gripper 0 so that the cable 8 is again gripped. The cable .3 is led so that it will. lie substantially on a level with the grooves 72 at the point where it to be gripped by the grippers 0, 9'. It at any point of the railway the car is to be shunted to a branch track 21, the switch-arn'i 20 is brought into the position shown in Fig. 10, in which the ec :(a1tricallymounted wheel or disk 7* is thrown toward its cooperating disk 7 so far that the log it) off the n'io'vable gripper 7' is pressed against one of these disks, the jaw of the movable gri 'iper r is swung away from the cooperating jaw 79 of the stationary gripper 0 and the cable .9 is released hereinbe'tore described. It, however, the ca r is to continue on the main track i and the cable 5* is, therefore, not. to be released, the switch-arm 20 is thrown in the direction of the arrow in- Fig. 10, \vhereby the ecentri ally-moonted disk 7 is moved away from its coo ierating disk 7 so far that the grippers 0, r pass freely through the interval between the two disks 7 7 without engaging the same. Hence, the jaw y) ot the movable gripper '1' is in this ease not. torced away from the cooperating jaw 7) of the stationary gripper 0 and the cable s consequently remains held tirmly by and between these jaws.

it so desired, the gears ti aml driving pulley 8 may be dispensed with so that the disks 7 will not. be positively driven but will. then act as idlcrs in the same manner as do the disks 7*, 7 shown in l igs. 1t) and ll.

in ordinary contmctors cable railways and in cable railways used in coal handling and in mines, tunnels and other node"- ground work, the rails 2' may be mounted upon a tlooring laid upon the joists (I, and in this case the length ot' the drpending portions 0, 1', ol the cable-grip mechanism may be shortened considerably. Inasmuch as cable railways having the construction just ret'crred to are extremely common, it is believed that no illust ation and no turther description (it the same need be given.

I claim:

1. A cable-grip mechanism comprising a pair of jaws onc ol' which is movable with respect to the. other; automatically-operating means for throwing one ot said jaws toward the other to grip the cable; and an automatically-operating device 'l'or pressing said movable jaw away 't'rom the other jaw to release the cable; said device and means being separate from and independent of \ach other.

2. A cablegrip meclmnism comprising a pair oil jaws one of which is movable with respect to the other; a spring tor throwing one of said jaws toward the other jaw to grip the cable; means For pressing said movable jaw away from the other to release the cable; and a (intent for locking siad movable jaw in cable-releasing position.

3. cable-grip mechanism con'lprising a pair of jaws one of which is movable with respect to the other; autoinatically-opcating n1 j-ans tor throwing one o'l" said jaws toward the other to grip the ciblc; automatica|lyoperating means for pressing said movable jaw away from the other jaw to release the 'able; and manually-operattal m -ans t'or pressing said movable jaw away from the other jaw to rcl ase the cable.

t. A cable-grip mechanism comprising a pair o't jaws one of which mo able. with respect to the other; antolnati:ally-operating means For throwing one o! said jaws toward the other to grip the able; and a disk which is arranged to press against said movable jaw and thereby force the same into cable-releasing position.

5. rablc-grip mechanism comprising a pair ol. jaws one ol which is movable with respect to the other and is tormed with a lag; a spindle connected with said movable &

jaw and formed with a recess; a detent ar ranged to engage in said recess; a spring mounted on said spindle and arranged to throw said movable jaw into cable-gripping position, when said cletent is withdrawn from said recess; and a disk arranged to press against said lug and thereby force said movable jaw into cable-releasing position.

(3. A cable-grip mechanism comprising a pair of jaws one of which is movable with respect to the other; automatically-operating means for throwing said movable jaw toward. the other to grip the cable; and a pair of disks between which said jaws pass and against which said jaws press for throwing said movable jaw into cable-releasing position.

7. A cable-grip mechanism comprising a pair of jaws one of which is movable with respect to the other; automatically-operating means for throwing one of said jaws toward the other to grip the cable; automatically-operating means for pressing said movable jaw away from the other to release the cable; and mechanism for throwing the last-named means into operative position.

8. A cable-grip mechanism comprising a pair of jaws one of which is movable with respect to the other; automaticallyoperating means for throwing one of said jaws toward the other to grip the cable; auto- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

